


The Wanted Princess (A Mordred Love Story)

by Ejensen99999



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-17
Updated: 2014-11-24
Packaged: 2018-02-25 17:48:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2630789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ejensen99999/pseuds/Ejensen99999
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young girl's mother dies shortly after her birth, and her father is killed in combat. All she has left from her parents is her magic, and grows up to use it to heal. And she soon finds herself in the most dangerous place for her to be, but a young knight vows to protect her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Elena watched the knights creep by as she hid from their gaze. The shrubbery, only twenty feet from the trail the armored men were taking, concealed her as she silently admired and pitied them; admiring them for their caution but pitying them because all this hard work was in vain. She recognized the leader of this little group, which consisted of no more than fifteen men, and she dreaded what would happen if he found her. The King of Camelot, Arthur Pendragon, was leading his small battalion into a nearby mountain pass to capture a witch who supposedly lived on the other side of the mountain, for magic was forbidden and anyone who could use it or accused of using it was condemned to die. Little did he know that the witch they were hunting was just outside his field of vision. But Elena wasn’t the traditional witch the people of Albion had come to expect. She was kind, good-hearted and many considered her to be fair and beautiful. Her fiery red hair hung in long ringlets down her back and golden rings dwelt in her jade eyes, her slender frame allowing her to hide and pass through the forest without arousing suspicion, but the knights promised trouble. She had never used her magic to harm anyone or to commit any crime, in fact she used it to help and heal people she found, but here they were anyway. And the men Arthur had brought with him only strengthened her fear; they were tall and strong, brawn, and it was clear they had dealt with hunting witches before, even the king’s manservant looked accustomed to this, but there was one who didn’t.  
His wide, pale green eyes searched everything, darting from one hiding place to another, scanning the undergrowth for any signs of life, as if he didn’t know quite what he was looking for but continued anyway. If anyone was to find her, it was him. Elena grew nervous as his eyes passed over the area where she hid, and her fears became reality as both their eyes met. He saw her. Her eyes grew in fear and her body froze, not wanting to risk any chance he just might be looking where she was but it was too late. He slowed his pace as he continued to gaze at her, but he didn’t stop walking with everyone else. Nor did he raise alarm. He bowed his head ever so slightly and gave her one final glance before continuing on with the rest of his companions, one of them stopped to tease him about being scared and being too young to go on the quest, to which he didn’t really give a response. Elena took her chance and slinked away from the shrubbery, deeper into the forest to hide from him.  
He knew she was there and he knew who she was, but why didn’t he say anything? Was there anything to gain from refraining to tell Arthur? When she drew far enough away from the trail, she turned towards her home farther up the trail, wanting to get there before the Knights of Camelot arrived there first. Her home was only a few feet from the trail and she had to move fast. After rushing past the undergrowth and flying between the trees, she arrived at the back door of her house. Bursting through it and towards the front door, she threw off the cloak around her shoulders and hung it on a post next to the door. She grabbed a small woven basket off the table and opened the door out to the spice and herb garden she carefully attended to every morning. Even though she had done this once already, she knelt down and began picking of the leaves of a plant. She breathed in and out slowly, trying to calm herself down and pretending she didn’t notice the knights approaching her.  
Knowing exactly just how far away they were, she waited until there was an obvious sign of their presence, which was the sound of a twig snapping. Pretending to be like any other villager, her head snapped up to find the source. The source was a large, burly knight who clearly didn’t have skilled balance. The King himself looked back at him in exasperation, and Elena caught sight of the young knight who had seen her earlier.  
There was another young man, maybe a little older than the knight, who gazed at her. He was the King's manservant, studying her features with his blue and green eyes and it was clear he found her beautiful. King Arthur turned just in time to see her stand up and she greeted them with her innocence.  
“May I help you, my lords?” her voice rang clearly through the forest and it caught all of their attention.  
“Why would you need to help us?” Arthur asked. Elena looked around as though she was looking for something in particular.  
“Well, my lord I… normally when people come to see me they are injured and they need help.”  
“Why would they come to you?” he asked.  
“Because I know how to help people, and I can heal them...” she began but was interrupted.  
“Wait, you’re a physician?” asked the servant to King Arthur. The young king looked at him as though he had been rudely interrupted, but the young servant didn’t pay him much attention as he restudied her again. Elena began to carefully think out her moves, categorizing the servant as a threat and if she didn’t convince him, her life could reach the end very shortly.  
“My father, he was a physician,” forcing her voice to break on ‘was’ and she knew she had swayed him a little because his expression softened and a few of the other knights bowed their heads. “He taught me pretty much everything I knew before… I help out as much as I can. I know a great deal of medicines and healing processes that I create myself.”  
“Well, then you could be very useful in Camelot,” said Arthur. The young knight’s eyes light up for a moment, but then became a little more concerned when he saw Elena look at Arthur in shock. She would be going to Camelot? Spending every single day within walking distance of the man who wants her kind dead? But how would she be able to refuse? If she said the people in the town nearby needed her to remain where she was, he would ask why she wasn’t in the town with them and it could only go downhill from there. She had to accept.  
“My lord I would be truly grateful to go with you,” she said, forcing a smile and trying to think of a way out, but there was none that would be logical or actually work.  
“Good, then it is settled. We will ride back to Camelot as soon as we have removed a witch on the other side of the mountain pass.” Elena looked at him with confusion, and he paused, wondering why she did so.  
“My lord, there is no witch on the other side.” It was then his turn to look at her curiously and he demanded an explanation. “There used to be an old woman who lived there, but she died only a few months ago. And I don't think she was able to use magic.” And it was true. The old woman had helped raise her and taught her how to use her magic, teaching her what spells worked for different situations and had been the one to teach her about healing people, and how to defend herself. Not only with spells and hexes, but with swords also. He nodded and turned to his men.  
“Well then, let us return to Camelot. If there is anything you need to retrieve before we go, please do it now.” Elena nodded and ran back into her home, grabbing things as she went. She was probably never going to return and she didn't know what she would need. She grabbed several potions and herbs, stuffing them into an old but sturdy bag. She grabbed books full of magical secrets given to her from the old woman and put them into the bag as well. There wasn’t really anything else to get other than her other dress and cloak; she didn’t have much of anything but she was content with it. But now she had to leave it behind. Tears began to well up in her eyes but she pushed them away and threw the cloak she had around her shoulders and swung the bag around one. She was about to leave when she remembered the villagers. Some came when they were injured or sick and she couldn't just leave them with nothing to help. She took out a piece of parchment and wrote to them, explaining what had become of her and what potions did what, and laid out several of them, making sure they were labeled so there wouldn't be any mistakes.  
She glanced over her home one more time before she left, wondering if there was anything else she needed to bring with her. She felt as though there was, but nothing stood out to her, so she opened the front door and walked out, closing it behind her. The knights looked at her and parted, indicating for her to move forward between them, closer to Arthur. She hesitated but she needed to move, and forced herself forward. She walked past the knight who had seen her earlier, trying not to make eye contact with him, but she could feel his gaze on her. But she continued to walk forward until she grew closer to the manservant and the King and they turned around walking the way they had come. The manservant slowed his pace only slightly, allowing for Elena to catch up with him and as she did, he took up conversation with her.  
“Hello, my name is Merlin. What is yours?” he asked, talking softly because no one else was speaking.  
“My name is Elena,” she said and didn’t say anything else, hoping he would stop talking, but all it did was encourage him.  
“You seem as though you don't see much of other people. How long have you lived out here?” he continued. She answered by telling she had lived there her entire life and only knew of how the world was through her father and the village nearby. “Why don’t you lived in the village?”  
“I've never really gotten along with some of the villagers. I get along well with the people who knew my father, but not the others.”  
“Who was your father?” interrupted Arthur who had been listening to their conversation the entire time. She paused, thrown off slightly by his question.  
“His name was Eylgar.”  
“Eylgar?” Arthur stopped walking and turned back to her. “Eylgar Dimitrov?” She looked at him in shock. He knew her father?  
“Yes.” He looked closer at her for a minute and turned back around to continue walking. Elena sped up, trying to talk with him. “Did you know him?”  
“I did,” he said abruptly. “I knew him as a child. He was a wonderful physician and he, he saved my life, on more than one occasion.” Arthur turned around to face her again. “I owe him a great deal, and I'm only sorry that I couldn't repay him for anything he did,” he said, a solemn expression overcoming his face. Elena looked at him with a blank stare, not quite sure on how she should respond. He then turned to Merlin and told him to continue walking to where they left the horses and he turned back and walked towards the young knight bringing up the rear. As everyone walked onward, Arthur held him back and talked to him, the knight listening intently on what he was saying. She wanted to wait and hear what they were saying, but it was clear no one but the two of them were supposed to be involved, so she continued walking with the rest of them.  
Merlin tried to keep talking with her, but even he didn't feeling like talking. But they continued forward until they had reached a large clearing and several horses tied to the nearby trees and Elena counted them all and realized there were only enough horses for the knights. She would have to ride with one of them. She looked around anxiously as the knights went to their horses, untying their reins and climbing atop them, seating themselves comfortably in the saddle.  
“Elena.” She turned around to see the young knight riding towards her with Arthur guiding the beast by its reins. It had been Arthur who called to her and he now offered the reins to her. “You will ride on this horse,” he said bluntly, thrusting the reins in her hands and patting the horses neck. She looked up at the tall creature and the knight who road it, his eyes staring down at her. “Don't worry. This horse is well behaved and is one of the more capable ones we have here.” Arthur turned away, giving the knight one final look and the knight nodded back and he offered his hand to her, smiling gently at her and his eyes took on a much more caring look. Elena took his hand as he pulled her up onto the horse and seated herself behind him. She still didn’t know his name, yet she wrapped her hands around his waist as the horse began to move at a brisk pace. After a few moments of silence, the other knights began jeering at Merlin and mocked him for acting so sweet and caring to Elena. One of them mentioned how his efforts were in vain because she now rode with Mordred.  
“Your name is Mordred?” she asked, this being the first time hearing it and the first time speaking to him. She tried looking over his shoulder and passed the dark brown curls around his face, but she couldn’t unless she propped her head on his shoulder and she didn’t know if he would be comfortable with that.  
“Yes. And if I heard correctly earlier, would your name be Elena?” he replied, turning his head so he faced her and Elena could see his pale green eyes very clearly, and she couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was, and how their faces were so close. She blushed and looked away before she answered.  
“Yes, you heard correctly.” He continued to stare at her for a moment but he turned away and silence once again took over the conversation. The sun was beginning to set and darkness started coming forth out of the shadows of the forest. They rode for almost two hours before either of them spoke again, the next time being when Camelot came into view. Her stomach churned and flipped as they strode ever closer to the gates, even though she had been within only a few feet of the King for the last few hours, the realization that her life was in extreme danger only now began to manifest itself to her. Her heart raced and she pulled away from Mordred in case he would be able to feel her heart hammering against her chest. He turned over his shoulder to look at her, finding the sudden movement strange and he looked at her with a gentle curiosity.  
“What’s wrong?” he asked. She locked eyes with him and she wanted so dearly to tell him why; feeling as though, even if this was the first time she had met him, she could trust him. But she didn’t know him in the slightest, and there was too much of a risk in trusting anyone here.  
“Just nervous,” she lied, her slippery words glided off her silver tongue. “I’ve never been anywhere like this and… I’m not quite sure on how I should be.” He smiled slightly, as though he understood and was trying to comfort her.  
“Don't worry. Arthur is a good king and there is no need to be afraid.” His voice rang with absolute belief and trust, but Elena didn’t know just how much he said was true. But she needed Mordred to believe she did. She looked at him, smiled and nodded, pretending she was comforted, but she couldn't have been more scared. He smiled back and turned away and her face returned to that of terror. Their horses trotted up to the entrance into the city and as the portcullis was raised, her heart sank and she felt as though the hand of death was holding the back of her throat. Guards looked down at her from above the walls and she felt so alone. More alone than she could have ever felt; there was no one to turn to, and no one who could help her.

 

“Guinevere, will you take her to her room, please?” Arthur asked, his voice echoed off the stone walls of the throne room to the Queen. “And find her some clothing that suits her? After you are done with that I need to speak with you.” Elena looked down at her dress, the worn fabric stitched in several places and stained with mud and the color of plants. The Queen looked at what she wore in disgust and decided the King's suggestion was a very good one indeed.  
“Right away. Follow me, dear,” she gestured and Elena followed her through the doors and along the hallway towards her new room. She was to be living in the heart of Camelot, not only in the city, but the actual castle of King Arthur. Her mind raced as she thought of all the things that could go wrong and before she knew it, the Lady Guinevere had stopped in front of a door and begun to open it. “What is your name, my dear?” Her throat seized up and she somehow thought that telling her name would reveal her as a sorceress, but there was no reason for this to be true. And despite this, her voice didn't want to tell the Queen her name.  
“My... my name... my name is... is Elena,” she choked out. The Queen's face took on a look of pure sympathy and understanding and she stopped opening the door to grab both of Elena's hands. She looked her fully in the face and made sure Elena was looking back.  
“Elena, listen very closely to what I have to say. You have nothing to fear here. You are safe, no matter what anybody else tells you. There is nothing to fear.” Her eyes told Elena that she truly believed this and that all she wanted was for Elena to feel safe. But she didn't understand the situation at all; she didn't understand what Elena was so right to worry about. There was everything in the world for her to fear. “Do you understand Elena?”  
“Yes, your Majesty. I understand,” she said, guilt growing in the pit of her stomach. She hated lying to people and she never lied, but in order to remain alive, she had to.  
“Elena, please just call me Gwen. Nobody calls me that anymore; everyone calls me your Majesty, your Highness, or Lady Guinevere and I feel as though they aren't really friends. Please, Elena, call me Gwen.”  
“Gwen, are you really sure you want to associate yourself with a commoner?” she said, trying to get out of becoming the Queen's friend. It isn't that Elena didn't like her, but if they started talking regularly, she might say too much about herself. “How well would it look to other members of royalty if you were seen talking to the likes of me beyond giving orders?” Gwen looked at her with a sad expression, almost as if she didn't understand what she meant by that comment but also understood it all too well.  
“Elena, I used to be a servant here. I used to think the same way, and so did Arthur. But... it really doesn't matter. Arthur's best friend is his servant Merlin. He may not say it aloud or even know it, but they are the closest of friends.” Gwen carried on with how social status didn't really matter, but Elena didn't believe her. If that was true, royalty and servants wouldn't exist. “Besides, I have a feeling that people won't really consider you as a commoner after today.” Her stomach dropped and Elena couldn't help the fear she had show through her face. Did she know? Had she really been so obvious that Gwen already knew her secret? “Elena what's wrong?” Elena slowly realized that she didn't know. How could she? But what else could she mean by what she said earlier?  
“I forgot something. Something my father left me where I used to live. I just remembered it.” She said, and then she realized this was actually true. She felt her neck where the necklace usually hung, but nothing was there. How could she have forgotten it? She had always kept it with her, even while she slept and yet she left it, miles away from where she was now.  
“We can send someone to get it for you. But you need to rest.” Elena tried to protest, but as she thought about it she knew she couldn't do anything for now. The sun had set completely and sleep was creeping forward. The door to her new room opened and Elena was shocked at how lavish everything was. The room was the size of her home and there was barely anything in it. The bed took up most of the space and a table large enough for several people stood against the wall farthest from the bed. A wardrobe stood taller than her and wider than her, even if both of her arms were outstretched and a vanity stood in front of her on the other side of the room. She gaped at the room, taking in the rich colors of the curtains and rugs across the smooth stone floor. The fabric that covered the bed flowed to the ground and Elena turned back to Gwen and she smiled back at Elena. “This room used to belong to someone I attended to, but they haven't lived here for a very long time. You can now consider this room, and everything in it yours. I even think her gowns would fit you.”  
Gwen walked over to the wardrobe and opened it and pulled out several gowns, all in different colors and styles. Some were similar and others were purely original, meant for very special occasions. “I want to see how you look in all of these but,” she paused as she glanced over at Elena, at how tired she was, and honestly, how filthy she was. “But that can wait.”  
A servant passed by the open doors of Elena's new room and looked in, wondering why the doors to the room were open. When she saw the Queen in the room with her, the servant's head bowed and Gwen turned to her. “Elewys, please come with me. I need to speak with you.” Gwen turned to leave but looked back at Elena. “Sleep well Elena.” As the doors closed, despite the kindness the Queen had shown her, Elena felt trapped. Like a prisoner. She looked around the room more, almost trying to find a way out of everything that had happened that day. One day and her life had changed completely, how did this happen? She took off the bag hanging off her shoulders and walked over to the table, placing the bag on the table and took out the items she had in it. Several potions she had made, laced with magic, lined the table and some of the herbs she had gathered that day were laid down gingerly. She had to hang them to dry, but she needed a place to hide the potions first. She had noticed a drawer at the base of the wardrobe, but when she looked in it she found no room; the small drawer was occupied by shoes. She closed it and looked around more, but couldn't find anyplace to hide them.  
She decided it was best to leave them in the bag she brought and hide it under her bed. As soon as she hid them, a knock came from the door and in walked the manservant, Merlin. He smiled warmly at her and came more into the room with an old man following closely behind him.  
“Hello. How are you?” he asked, genuinely curious about her well being.  
“I'm doing well. Just... I'm a little tired,” she replied truthfully.  
“Oh. Right, sorry. Um,...” he began, not knowing quite how to continue. He hadn't really thought about it and felt quite dumb for not doing so. But instead of watching him make an idiot out of himself, the old man spoke up.  
“He just wanted to make sure you were doing well, and brought me along. My name is Gaius, and I'm one of the physicians here,” he said. His frail frame hunched slightly, as though his robes were pulling him down.  
“Hello, my name is Elena,” she said and Gaius smiled and nodded.  
“Yes, Merlin told me. He's actually told me quite a lot, considering how long he's known you,” he said turning to Merlin and he blushed slightly and looked down, his smiling face turned sour. “He also told me that your father was Eylgar. Is this correct?”  
“Yes it is. You remember quite a bit,” she mentioned to Merlin, and he gave her an embarrassed smile but he didn't say anything.  
“Hmm, I was only making sure,” Gaius said and he turned to leave but he paused and looked back at her. “You look a lot like your father,” was all he said and he left, Merlin followed him out but bowed just as he closed the door, giving her one last smile. She smiled back but seemed strangely targeted. Why would they come here? Elena wanted to know and she wanted to find out, but she was lured to the bed, sleep pulling at her eyelids and overtaking her mind. She found her way to the bed and collapsed onto it and went to sleep instantly. Outside her door, Merlin and Gaius began talking in whispers, about what it meant that she was the daughter of Eylgar Dimitrov.  
“What do you think, Gaius?” Merlin asked him, leaning close to the old physician. “Do you think...”  
“If she is telling the truth,” he began, “she has extremely powerful magic. But I don't know for sure.”  
“Didn't you say you knew her father? Who was he? Arthur seemed to know him too.”  
“Arthur did know him and as did I.” Gaius turned to Merlin with wide, skeptical eyes, not knowing if he was right. “Merlin, Eylgar was one of my apprentices before you and he was one of the most powerful sorcerers I have ever encountered. He did many great and wonderful things with his magic and he was praised for what he did, but he always lived in fear that Uther would learn of his magic and kill him.” Merlin understood this all too well, but he no longer felt that fear since the former king had died. “He left soon after Arthur turned nine but before he left I confronted him asking why. He told me that his child had been born with incredible magic and it was too dangerous for them to live in Camelot anymore. I never received any information about the child and I didn't even know his wife had been expecting one.”  
“But what are we going to do? If she does have magic?” he asked, genuine concern showing through his voice. “Are we going to tell her or does she already know?” Gaius thought carefully for a moment, trying to think it over.  
“Well, what ever we do will have to be done later. We can't do it tonight.” Merlin nodded and they both headed back to their rooms. “You were right though,” he said, no longer whispering and his voice interrupted the quiet silence along the hallway. Merlin looked at him, wondering what he was talking about. “She is very pretty.”


	2. Chapter 2

Elena woke to the sound of someone knocking on her door. For a second, she forgot about what had happened yesterday, somehow thinking it was nothing more than another nightmare, but as she stared out the large window out towards the rising sun, she remembered her nightmare was her reality. Her heart sank and she pulled herself from the bed, wondering who was at the door. She walked over and opened the door, finding herself in front of two servants carrying a large wooden tub full of hot water and another servant standing just behind them with a small bowl full of flowers and herbs, towels, and a small container of oil. They began to walk inside the room, placing the tub close to the wall and away from the door and the servant with the towels and bowl placed them on the table, and all bowed to her and left at the same time, closing the door behind them. Elena looked at the tub of water knowing it was meant for her to bathe and she was grateful that the servants had left.  
She walked over to the table and observed what they had given to fragrance the water, and she found roses, lilacs, lavender, rosemary, thyme, lilies, jasmine, and others. She picked out the roses, lilies and jasmine, emptied the bowl and plucked the petals of the flowers of the roses and lilies, leaving the jasmine blossoms whole, placing them into the bowl and adding a small amount of oil. She emptied the fragrant contents of the bowl into the water, the heat from it sending the pleasant aroma through the room. She disrobed and climbed into the water, cleaning herself off and soaking the the water. After a few minutes she removed herself and dried off, taking the second dress she had in her bag and put it on. Shortly after, another knock came from the door, and walked in the Lady Guinevere. She smiled at Elena, but stopped when she saw her dress.  
“Elena,” she prompted, “you can wear the dresses in the wardrobe. You don't have to wear what you brought.” She smiled at Elena with what looked like a sad and pitying look and she walked over to the wardrobe, pulling the doors to it open and she glanced at the dresses inside. Elena had wanted to wear the dresses, but she felt as though she would be taking advantage of her situation, and she didn't feel she was worthy to wear the beautiful gowns. Gwen paused when she saw the emerald beauty hanging in the wardrobe and she smiled, knowing this dress would be perfect for Elena. She pulled it out and laid it gently onto the bed and motioned for Elena to come over. “You are going to look absolutely enchanting in this.”  
Elena gazed at the emerald silk draped over the bed, the neckline and edges were hemmed with a gold fabric, and she fell in love with it. Her fingertips grazed the fabric, just barley touching it, as if her touch would destroy the beautiful dress. Gwen held it up and handed it to Elena, pushing her behind a room divider  
“Change into that Elena. It will suit you more than you think.” Elena hesitated for a moment, but began to change, knowing she wouldn't be able to argue with the Queen. As she undressed, Gwen walked over to the vanity, opening a small drawer and pulling out rouge and eyecolour, along with other things. When Elena walked out from behind the divider, Gwen didn't let her see her reflection in the mirror and sat her in a chair, adorning her face and enhancing her features, not covering them up. After Gwen had finished, she let Elena admire her work in the mirror. Elena stared in shock at the pale beauty in the reflection, her green eyes practically glowing and her lips, a light, natural red, also demanded attention. She almost didn't recognize herself, but she also knew her face and the red hair. She turned back to Gwen and Gwen smiled at her face. “You really are one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen,” she said and Elena smiled, probably for the first time she had been there. She looked back at the reflection and didn't admire her face, but the dress as well, both complementing each other and pointing out the best qualities of each.  
“Why have you done this?” Elena's voice almost shocked the Queen, and she looked at Elena through the mirror. “You met me yesterday and you have made me look like royalty when I probably should have been made a servant. I have never done anything to deserve what I have now, so why do I have it?” Elena turned to Gwen, wanting an answer, but Gwen had sworn to not tell her the reason for it.  
“I can not tell you,” and Elena's head lowered as she tried to think up a reason. “You would need to speak with Arthur concerning that matter.” She nodded. Of course she would have to talk with him. “Come on. He's actually expecting you.” Both of them walked out of the room and headed down the hallway. Elena had no idea where she was going but as she followed Gwen she realized they were going the way they had come last night and she was headed towards the throne room. Her heart pounded inside her chest and her stomach flipped. She didn't know what to say, even though she had already asked Gwen, and she didn't know why Arthur was already expecting to see her. As they neared the throne room, Gwen and Elena heard voices coming within the room. Gwen motioned for Elena to stay back for a moment and she looked in the room and she faced Elena before going in.  
“Stay here for one minute and come in,” she whispered, giving Elena one more comforting smile and before Elena could say anything, Gwen left her in the hallway. Elena began counting, her body shaking with anticipation and fear. She had never had to approach anyone like this, and she wasn't quite sure what to do. She tried listening to what they were discussing but nothing made sense and she couldn't distinguish anything. She kept counting, slowly reaching a minute, and she nearly lost control of her senses. She reached a minute and turned the corner, walking into the throne room. Stone pillars lined the room and banners hung from posts embedded in the walls. The room was empty, except for Gwen and Arthur and a few knights with their backs turned to her. She hesitated and she knew this was a mistake, so she steeled herself and walked forward, coming within arms distance of the knights. Arthur and Gwen had seen her since she entered the room, but the knights didn't notice until she had stopped and Arthur turned his attention to her and away from his knights.  
“Aw. That dress suits you very well,” he said and the knights looked at him in confusion but they realized he wasn't addressing them. They looked over their shoulders at Elena and almost froze when seeing her face. One of them was Mordred and the other was one of the other knights who had been with them yesterday. They backed away from her in pure awe, as if she was the Queen herself.  
“It is about the dress, and everything else I wish to speak with you about,” she said, her voice quivering and she cursed herself for sounding so weak.  
“Very well,” he replied turning away from them and walked towards his throne but he didn't sit down. “What is it that you wish to discuss?” Elena hesitated again, knowing this was a mistake, but she didn't really want to discuss it with other people present, but it didn't seem they were going to be leaving anytime soon. She looked at Gwen and she nodded, motioning for Elena to speak, and she turned back to Arthur.  
“Why have you done all this?” she asked, almost regretting it, because now all attention was on her. “I am a peasant. If anything, I should have been made a servant but... Why are you treating me as though I were royalty?” Arthur stared at her fully in the face, his eyes unwavering.  
“It is because of what your father did,” he answered. “He saved practically everyone in Camelot including me, and my father. I owe him so much and he died before I ever had the chance to repay him. The least, the absolutely least I could ever do, is make sure his daughter remains safe and that she has to want for nothing.” Elena stared in shock at him, not able to speak. What had her father done to be loved so much? She knew very well that he was a good man and a wonderful father, but she had no idea just how much people cared for him. “That is why tomorrow, you will become Princess Elena of Camelot.” Her eyes widened and she gasped at what she had heard. Had she heard correctly? Was this really happening or was it just another nightmare? She tried to say something, anything, but her throat stopped working and her voice became nonexistent. She looked at everyone in the room almost expecting them to tell her what to do or say, but no advice came; silence was the only response. She gaped back at Arthur and he smiled slightly back.  
“I know this is quite a lot for you to accept,” he said and it brought Elena back to reality.  
“No. No, it's alright,” she said. “I... I just, thank you.” Arthur smiled and replied accordingly, but there was another matter she needed to bring up. The necklace her father had made for her was still at her old house and if she wanted to sleep well that night, she needed to retrieve it that day. She had awful nightmares that would keep her awake and she could never truly rest and her father gave her an enchanted necklace to stop them from occurring. Her dream last night hadn't been too bad, but they would get worse over time until she awoke every night screaming and unable to stop until someone came and reassured her that it was okay and that whatever happened wasn't real. “There's another matter I want to ask you about. I have left some things my father left me where I used to live and I wished to return there to retrieve them today.”  
“Very well. I'll send my knights along with you,” he offered and Elena tried to protest but he already began deciding who he was going to send with her. “Mordred, will you gather three other knights and escort her back to her home to gather her father's things? I'm sure you'll be ready to leave within the hour.”  
“Of course my lord. Sir Gwaine, will you come?” Mordred asked, addressing the knight next to him. The knight readily accepted and both turned away to ready their things and horses.  
“My lord, you don't need to send any knights with me,” Elena said, praying that the knights wouldn't go with her and she could somehow avoid the residents of Camelot for the rest of her life. “I know the way myself and I have never come to expect trouble on the way there.” Arthur smiled and told her he knew this, but he just wanted to make sure that all would be well. Elena thanked him again and left the room towards her own. She had hoped to go alone so she could stay in her old home longer than she would with the knights alongside her. She opened the door to her room and closed it behind her, hoping that it would all end and she would be able to return to her old life but also knowing it would never happen. She needed to bring her bag so she could carry anything else she had forgotten there, so she reached under the bed and pulled it out, making sure she didn't drop any potions on the ground. She felt the underside of the bed frame found a small ledge for her to put the potions.  
She placed them according and pulled herself away from the bed, taking the bag with her and she held it in her hand. Elena needed to find the stables, but she had no idea where to begin to search for them. Opening the door, she peered out into the hallway, looking for anyone to ask where the stables were. She didn't want to lose herself in the enormous structure that was Camelot, especially when she was being waited for. After she closed the door, she started walking back towards the throne room but before she had even reached the end of the hall, Mordred and the knight from before came around the corner. All three of them stopped as they saw each other, all sort of in shock from them coming across each other. Elena noticed they both had their armor on and swords suspended from the belts around their waists, knowing they were ready to leave and they were heading in the direction she needed to go.  
“Hello, um,” she began, losing her train of thought and feeling stupid for asking, “would you be able direct me to the stables? I don't know quite where anything is at the moment.” Both of them smiled and the other knight, Gwaine, replied back to her.  
“Of course. It's this way, just follow us.” They began down the hallway, each of the knights taking her side and escorting her to where she wanted to go, and Elena had the distinct impression that it wasn't going to be the last time where this was applied. She took note of what passageways they used as they grew ever closer to the stables so she would be able to find them again, and time passed quickly as they soon walked out the castle doors and into a courtyard. All three walked towards two large wooden doors and the knights pulled them open for her, the hinges on them creaking and she walked into a room full of wooden posts and horses when a question eased its way into her mind, which horse would she ride? Surely she wouldn't ride with Mordred again, would she? But somewhere deep inside her mind, she silently wished that she would.  
“Here Princess,” Mordred said, handing her the reins to a tall dark creature made of soft, black hair and a midnight mane, its brown eyes looked down at her and she fell in love with it. “I'm sure this horse will suit you.” She took the reins from him and he smiled as he started to turn away to his own horse.  
“You don't have to call me Princess,” she said, her voice barely audible but Mordred heard it anyway. He looked back at her, not quite sure how to respond to what she said. “I'm not a princess until tomorrow, and, I don't really want to be a princess.” Mordred gave her the most confused expression she had ever seen and she wanted to tell him why, but she knew she couldn't. She smiled at him and he noticed the smile wasn't even real; it was just for show. “Please don't call me Princess.” She looked away from him and mounted the dark creature, Mordred gazed at her as she avoided contact with him. He saw so much more than anyone else could see. He saw a deep sadness and longing to reach out to people from her and he knew this feeling, experiencing it when he first came to Camelot. As she pulled the horses reins to one side and guided the creature through the wooden doors, he watched her face, full of worry and the illusion that she was completely alone.  
The other knights had already mounted their horses and had begun to leave through the doors and Mordred realized he was the last one who wasn't ready to leave. He walked over to his horse and mounted it swiftly, wanting to join them soon so they wouldn't have to wait for him but he found they already were. Elena was in the front, looking back to make sure they were all there. But the other knights hung back slightly, almost as if they didn't want to be near her, and Mordred guided his horse forward to join her. She gave one last look behind to make sure there was no one missing and charged her horse forward, the other horses racing after her. The dark creature pounded its way over the cobbled ground and past the gates of Camelot, the knights already struggling to keep up with her. Her hair flowed behind her and her dress rippled as the wind rushed past her. Elena looked over her shoulder to see how well the other knights were doing and pulled on the reins slightly slowing the creature down until it was nothing more than a trot. The horse she rode was much faster than the other horses and she had already out ran them by several feet.  
The knights caught up to her and slowed their horses down as well, joining her on either side, Mordred closest to her on her right. They continued onward, occasionally striking up conversation with each other and Elena learned their names, Percival and Leon rode on her left and Gwaine on her far right. Eventually they reached the edge of the forest where she used to live and Elena took the lead along the forest path while the others remained a few feet behind. As the horses lead them through the forest, Elena listened to the conversation behind her, the three knights excluding Mordred talked in whispers, but she could hear them well enough. They talked of her and how pretty she was, but also how silent.  
“She barely says anything, why do you think that is?” Her heart raced as they continued with reasons why she was so quiet and she urged her horse forward, slowly increasing her speed. Mordred listened as well and he had one guess why she was so quiet, but he didn't dare say anything about it since he wasn't sure, and even if he was, there would be all the more reason to never say anything to anyone. He turned the horse around to talk to the other knights and everyone stopped moving as he spoke.  
“I don't know why she's quiet, but considering that she's lived in the middle of nowhere her entire life and she lost her father and she been alone for who knows how long. And suddenly she's being made a princess and living a castle with lots of people around who she doesn't know, I think she's frightened and doesn't know how to respond to anything that happens anymore.” Elena looked at Mordred and she smiled as he defended her, her respect for him building as something else for him did also, she didn't know what it was but she felt different towards him than she did with anyone else. “I think she just wants people to leave her alone,” he finished and he turned back around and looked at Elena. She blushed and looked away from him and he felt his face go red.  
He felt so embarrassed for saying all that, not just because he had said it to those he spent most his time around; he had no idea Elena had heard him. He motioned for his horse to go forward and the small journey for her house continued, everyone remained silent this time. Every once in a while, she would look back at Mordred only to find him looking right back at her.  
As they neared a clearing, Elena dismounted and made sure she had a good hold on the reins, leading the horse to a tree and tying the reins around a low branch. Everyone gave her a strange look and she explained it was too hard for the horses to continue any further and they all dismounted, making sure their horses were secured and they followed her up the path to where her home was. This path continued upward until it combined with old traces of a river, large rocks and boulders lied on the ground and Elena pulled up her dress slightly and leaped from one rock to another, making her way with ease up the path. After a few seconds she looked back at the knights.  
At first they had tried leaping up the rocks as she did, but their armor weighed them down and they were forced to climb them one by one until they reached one that was a good height to jump over to. She sighed as they slowly made their way up to her, Mordred finding his way better than the others did, and he soon caught up with her. He stood next to her as they both looked down at the other knights, waiting for them to find their way.  
“You don't have to follow me if it suits you better,” she said, mainly addressing Mordred but the other knights heard her as well and all stopped to look and listen to her. “I know the way just fine and if you would rather stay here and wait, I would see no problem with it.” Three knights below sighed with relief but stopped when Mordred looked at them. At first he seemed disappointed but when he saw the effort they had already put themselves through just to climb a few rocks and how hard it was for them yesterday his expression softened and he gave them permission to stay back with the horses. He would escort her himself to her home.  
Elena turned away, most of her wishing that Mordred had stayed back as well, part of her happy that he would come along. Both of them continued upward, helping each other as they slowly made their way up the path. After a few moments Mordred and Elena could hear them talking about how well they looked together and the knights jested with the idea of them being together, and both Mordred and Elena pretended as though they couldn't hear anything they said. Soon the jests grew out of earshot and Elena could see her home just around the corner. She turned to help Mordred up the last rock and after he was done, she rushed over to her home, Mordred following closely behind thinking that she was happy to see her home. This was not the case. Elena remembered she had closed the door to her house, so why was it open? A woman just as tall as Elena walked out of her house and through the door, her dark hair hanging limp behind her and her cold eyes looked at her wickedly.  
“Morgana.” said Mordred and he drew the sword from around his belt. The woman, presumably Morgana raised her hand and her pale eyes turned the golden glow of magic and both Mordred and Elena flew back into the air, landing on the rocky ground. Elena looked over at Mordred after they both hit, his eyes closed and his sword out of his hand, lying a few feet away from him. She changed her attention to Morgana and slowly picked herself up, not once breaking contact with Morgana.  
“I remember that dress,” she said, studying the gown Elena wore. “It used to be one of my favorites. And now I'm cloaked in rags.” She gestured at her dress, the dark fabric worn and torn at the hems. “Has Arthur really gone so far as to replace me?” she asked Elena, her face contorting as an animal would before attacking. Elena walked forward, closing the distance between them and Morgana did the same until they were separated by only arms' length.  
“Why are you here?” Elena asked her, holding herself back, she felt outraged that someone had come to her house and just walked in, especially someone she didn't know in the slightest.  
“I have come looking for Eylgar. Where is he?” Elena motioned to a small mound of stones close to her home, indicating the grave site of her father. Morgana's gaze became sad, not of grief but of disappointment that she couldn't use him.  
“Why were you looking for him?” Morgana turned back to Elena and she restudied her again. Morgana began to circle around Elena, taking in every feature and searching for a connection.  
“You remind me of him,” she said, her voice full of thought. “Who was he to you?”  
“My father,” Elena said bluntly, letting her anger show through her face and voice and Morgana looked at her with a mixture of awe and fear. “Again, why were you looking for him?” Morgana seemed shocked by the fact that someone stood up to her so strongly.  
“I seek his aid in something, something that will free those with magic forever.” And Elena's heart jumped. She had lived in terror for so long and had always feared that one day, she would be executed. Elena loved the idea, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Morgana's intentions were not well structured. “I assume that you didn't only inherit Eylgar's features?” Elena didn't answer, but she didn't have to, Morgana's wicked smile told her that she already knew her secret. “Perhaps you would be able to help me instead.”  
“No.” Morgana's face once again became fierce and she glared at Elena. “I'm not going to help you. Even I know that you are evil and all the laws about sorcery, are because of you.” Morgana once again raised her hand to strike her but Elena gripped her wrist and Elena's jade eyes became gold. Green flames erupted from her feet and swirled around her and flared out at Morgana, catching the hems of her dress and Elena relinquished her wrist. Morgana backed away from her and patted her dress, attempting to put out the flames and doing so, not before the hem was destroyed. Morgana looked up at her in fear and Elena's arm raised slowly, willing the flames to chase after her and she fled. She grabbed the reins of a horse hidden near Elena's home and left. The flames died down as she left and Elena felt proud that she had learned the magic her father had tried to teach her for so long.  
“Elena?” a voice asked behind her and she spun around, fear setting her heart ablaze. Mordred, crouching down on his knees as he picked himself up, stared at her through wide eyes and she returned the stare, hers full of fright while his was simply astonishment. He had seen her use magic. He knew she was a sorceress. They stayed this way for a while, but Mordred slowly began reaching for his sword. Elena lept into action, running towards her home and rushing through the door way and Mordred picked up his sword and ran after her. She pulled out the sword her father kept in case of danger from behind the bed and just as Mordred reached the doorway, she swung the blade at him. He was just barely able to parry the blow but she swung again and again, forcing him to back up as she advanced until he was using both hands to steady his sword. It was clear that she had many years of training and practice and he was trying so hard to keep up with her, but soon she had knocked his sword out of his hand and he fell to his knees.


	3. Chapter 3

“Wait! Elena, please wait!” he cried as she stood above him holding the sword above her head, poised to strike. 'I have magic as well,' she heard a voice say in her head. She slowly lowered the sword and her eyes welled up with tears. The voice was Mordred's. He had magic too. She didn't want to attack him, but he had begun to reach for his sword. She thought he was going to kill her, as a knight of Camelot would have done. But all the fear and stress on her shoulders washed away as she realized that she was safe and she wasn't the only one in Camelot who could use magic. 'It's alright, Elena. You don't have to be afraid.' She let go of the sword and dropped to her knees, tears pouring down her face as relief overtook her. She wasn't alone. She was safe. She wasn't alone. Mordred took off the gloves on his hands and placed them on her shoulders, comforting her, and himself.  
He had never been so close to death in a sword fight in all his life. He was shocked at how well she handled herself and he grimaced at what would've happened to him if he didn't show her that he had magic as well. She looked up at Mordred and covered her mouth, realizing what she had nearly done, guilt settling in the pit of her stomach.  
“Mordred I'm sorry, I'm so sorry,” she said as more tears split down her face. He took her hands away from her face and looked intensely into her eyes.  
“No, it's alright. I understand why, it's alright,” he said quietly. He tried so hard to calm her and soothe her and it took several minutes to do this, but eventually she stopped apologizing and the tears were brushed away. Mordred left her to get her things and walked over to her fathers grave, thinking deeply. Elena found her necklace and decided to take her father's sword along with her, tying the belt around her waist and making sure the sword was secure in its sheath. After she had gathered everything and enchanted the door to open just for her and certain people in the village, she went out to join him. “Was he a sorcerer as well?” he asked.  
“Yes he was.”  
“You do know,” he said turning his head towards her and his voice became a whisper. “That sorcerers are not permitted marked graves.”  
“Mordred, he was my father.” Mordred's face became ashamed and he looked away from her. “Do you really think I care about that?”  
“If people found out, they might try and remove the stones,” he said, concerned for her fathers grave site, even though there was nothing to worry about.  
“See if you can move them,” Elena replied, gesturing at the stones. Mordred looked at her, not understanding for a moment. She nodded towards them again and he moved towards them, crouching low and giving her one last look of concern. “Move them.” Mordred grabbed the stone at the top with one hand and lifted up. The stone remained were it had been placed. He tried harder to lift it but it remained steadfast. He tried lifting it with both hands but it was of no use. The stones would not move and they would not weather away. He looked at her and she gave him a small smile.  
“You've enchanted them, haven't you?” he asked, smiling back at her. She nodded and he walked back over to her.  
“I knew what some people might do, and I made sure that they wouldn't be able to,” she said and they smiled at each other and they both looked back at the grave. After a few moments of silence, Elena realized something. “How were you able to speak to me through my mind? And if you're a sorcerer, then why did you become a knight?” she asked.  
“All you have to do is will the words you want to say into their mind. And on the matter of me being a knight, it is because I believe that one day, things will be different and Arthur will change,” he said and there was no hesitation in his reply. “One day, we won't have to hide anymore.”  
“Why do you believe that?” she inquired. Mordred leaned close to her and his voice again dropped to a whisper.  
“We are not the only ones in Camelot who can use magic.” Elena stared at him with wide eyes and he returned the stare with a calm expression. “There are those especially close to the king and serve him who can use magic,” he hinted. Elena racked her brain for the answer to what he was suggesting, and found it to be a surprising simple solution.  
“Merlin?” she asked and he nodded. She continued to dwell on the matter that there were other sorcerers in Camelot and she came to the conclusion that Arthur wasn't very intelligent, and Mordred began to suspect that they had been away too long and Gwaine and the others were soon to begin looking for them. He touched her arm and nodded back towards the path.  
“We should head back,” he said and Elena nodded. They both walked towards the path and Mordred offered his hand to her for the first rock. Elena had been able to jump from rock to rock but climbing up was always easier than going down and she didn't need to break anything on the way. She took his hand and he helped her down and they continued this pattern until they reached the end of the path of rocky terrain. Two of the knights had fallen asleep and the last was meddling with something in his hand. Mordred cleared his throat and the knight looked up, startled and he kicked the other two knights gently, stirring them from their slumber. At first they seemed irritated at being woken but Mordred cleared his throat again and they realized what they had done and how foolish and irresponsible it was. They jumped to their feet and Mordred sighed as he looked at them with exasperation.  
All of them had spent the night before talking about Elena and who would be most likely to win her over and Gwaine had been the most sure of himself, but now. Mordred didn't take place in the conversation, but he had listened and he knew from the look she gave to the knights that none would be able to sway her. He smiled slightly as Gwaine picked himself up from the ground, leaves clinging to his hair as he tried to compose himself, and appeared absolutely ridiculous to Elena. She gave a smile to Mordred and walked towards her horse, ignoring the knights and Mordred walked forward as well and gave Gwaine a disappointed look, and all the knights turned and walked to their horses without a word.  
No body really wanted to say anything; the knights not wanting to be lectured by a knight who hadn't even finished his training and Mordred and Elena, both were deep in thought over what had happened to them. Elena felt so relieved and she no longer felt alone; she began to suppose that her and Mordred had become friends by default and were now somewhat connected because they both shared the same life threatening secret and now, almost expected to trust each other.  
And Mordred felt the same, grateful he had someone else to turn to instead of Merlin. He didn't despise Merlin in the slightest, in fact, he wanted dearly for Merlin and him to be friends, but he had the distinct impression that Merlin didn't feel the same. And as the group mounted their horses, Mordred gazed at Elena, a smile softly spreading across his lips and he remembered when he first saw her yesterday, crouching in the shrubs and her green eyes staring back at him in absolute terror. He had wondered why she did so and he now knew. He also thought of Arthur's request. When Arthur had pulled him away from everyone else, Mordred had thought he had done something wrong but Arthur had instead given him a deed, swearing to keep it hidden from the rest of the knights, and asked him to protect Elena with his life. Even though Mordred had only been a knight for no more than a few weeks, Arthur had convinced Mordred he had faith in the young knight and had entrusted this task to him. He still didn't understand why Arthur was so concerned for Elena, but whether Arthur had asked or not, Mordred would have sought to protect her anyway.  
Mordred continued to gaze at her, not knowing why he did, somehow finding it irresistible to look away and when he could, it did not take long for his eyes to wander back to her. Every once in a while, she would look back at him and they would exchange shy smiles and one would eventually turn their gaze away towards the other knights mounting their horses or finding a sudden interest in the ground, studying it until the other looked away and they could resume staring at the object of their affection.  
Elena was focused on willing her thoughts to Mordred, trying to speak with him through her mind and found it irritating. Mordred could feel her thoughts pushing against the borders of his mind and he encouraged her to try just a little harder, telling her different ways to think of the words traveling to his mind and she slowly achieved success. She practiced as they made their way back to Camelot and she and Mordred rode side by side as the other knights rode behind, hanging back and watching the display in front of them. They found it strange that two people could grow so close without any explanation and with an incredibly short amount of time, and they tried coming up with explanations for this, but, thankfully, none came close to the truth.  
Eventually, Camelot's walls came into sight and Mordred thought about telling Merlin about her. For some reason, he didn't want to tell Merlin that Elena could use magic, but he knew that if he didn't Merlin would hold it against him and would consider it an act of disloyalty. But what if Elena didn't want Merlin to know? What if she did? Mordred then became worried that Elena might have already begun to admire Merlin and felt a surge of jealousy spread through his being. But he knew that it was Elena's choice who she would admire, and despite the anxiety Mordred felt he spoke to her.  
'Do you want me to tell Merlin?' and Mordred waited for her reply. For a few minutes, there was nothing from Elena and Mordred began to consider asking the question again.  
'No,' she answered and a wave of relief washed over Mordred and as did his curiosity, but before he could ask, she continued. 'I don't know if I can trust him.'  
'He is a good man, Elena,' Mordred found himself saying. 'He can be trusted.'  
'Mordred, I just want only you to know,' and with that Mordred's face lit up and he smiled, feeling a sense of pride and importance. And Elena couldn't help but feel ridiculous as she said it. She felt so embarrassed and insecure, what if he thought that was stupid? It was clear he thought very highly of Merlin and Elena was sure she could trust Mordred's judgment, but she wanted as few people as possible to know about her secret. She looked at Mordred and she couldn't help but smile at him; he was practically beaming at her and she wasn't quite sure why, but she decided not to question him. Elena turned back towards Camelot and the fear she had experienced just the other day were no longer present, somehow knowing that she wasn't alone made her feel so much safer and protected than she did before. She gazed up at the guards and they smiled down at her, welcoming her back and to Elena's surprise, she smiled back. As they walked through the gate to Camelot, the people who lived there smiled and waved at her and she felt compelled to do so in return, at first she didn't know why she was being greeted like this, but she recalled that earlier that day, it had been announced that she would be crowned Princess. Tomorrow.  
Elena felt her heart sink and flutter as she thought of what she might have to do and what her responsibilities were going to be, and she couldn't help but think about what might happen if people were to ask for her hand in marriage, and if she was allowed to say no. She knew how common it was for kings who were at war to call a truce and in honor of that, have their children be engaged to one another, with or without consent. She continued to worry about this as the knights made their way up the cobblestone to the castle stables and when she reached them, Mordred pulled up alongside her.  
“Elena, I know you're worried about a lot of things, but you don't need to,” he said. 'I have been asked by Arthur to protect you at all times, and I promise you I will always look after you,' and Elena looked at him with a strange combination of curiosity and comfort. She knew he was telling the truth and she couldn't help but feel a strong impression from him that meant this task was more than just a request from Arthur. She looked at him directly, searching for any evidence that she was right, but she found none, at least, nothing which was obvious. They continued to stare at each other but after a moment, they looked away and Mordred dismounted and handed the reins to one of the other knights and walked over to Elena's horse and lifted his hands up to her. She swung her leg over the horse's head so that she faced him and placed her hand on his shoulders. He grabbed her waist and lowered her slowly to the ground, and they once again gazed at each other, but for a much longer time than before. They probably would have done this for longer, but Elena blushed and looked away from him, heading back up the stairs into the castle and Mordred's eyes followed her as she left. He clutched the reins of her horse and lead the creature back to the stables.  
He lead the horse into it's pen and began removing its bridle and saddle and the other knights were doing the same, all the while thinking about Elena.  
“Mordred,” called out Percival and he turned to face him, almost startled at being called out. “What is going on between you and her?” he asked, indicating Elena. Mordred didn't know how to answer.  
“I don't know. What are you implying?” he said, pretending he didn't know but he soon realized he actually didn't know why he and Elena had grown so close over the last few hours. Yes, they both had magic, but there was nothing else that explained it.  
“Oh don't toy with us Mordred,” Gwaine said. “There is obviously something between the two of you. We saw how you generously helped her off her horse and how both of you 'gazed into each others eyes,'” he teased and Mordred looked away from them, his face turning red. “It's clear that you both have feelings for each other. How did this happen so fast?” Mordred repeated the last phrase in his head. It's clear you BOTH have feelings for each other. He turned around to Gwaine.  
“Do you really think so?” he asked, his voice was quiet and full of genuine interest. Gwaine couldn't believe he had heard correctly. Mordred really couldn't see it, could he?  
“Yes,” he said and Mordred looked away from him but Gwaine could still see his face and Mordred smiled. But Gwaine was concerned for him. “You know she's going to be a princess by the end of tomorrow?” And with that Mordred's smile left. “I don't know how Arthur would feel about one of his knights falling in love with a princess. Or the other way around.”  
“I know,” Mordred said bluntly and he finished removing the saddle from the horse and he left the stables. Gwaine and Leon called after him but Mordred ignored them. He didn't want to hear anything else from them. He walked into the castle and wandered through the hallways, not really paying attention to where he was going but not caring either. After some time, he ran into Merlin and he tried to just walk around him, but Merlin grabbed his arm and glanced around the hall, making sure there was no one around and leaned in close.  
“Mordred I think Elena is a sorceress,” he whispered and Mordred's stomach flipped. He didn't want to confirm it but he found it hard to lie to Merlin.  
“Why do you say that?” Mordred was hoping to not become involved and he knew that using that phrase might have gotten him involved anyway.  
“I know someone who recognized her father's name and he said that her father was an extremely powerful sorcerer and left Camelot because his child had magic too. I'm pretty sure he was referring to Elena.” Mordred didn't look at Merlin, trying to hide the fact that he knew but Merlin could see that he was hiding something from him. “What is it?” Mordred's throat dried up and he could barely say anything. He didn't want Merlin to know and Elena didn't want him to know either, but he couldn't lie to Merlin.  
“She is,” he started and he knew he had to relay the story of how he found out. “When we reached her home, Morgana was there.” Merlin's face changed and he looked worried. “The other knights had stayed back, so it was just me and Elena and she attacked us both. I lost conscientiousness for a few seconds but when I came to, Morgana was trying to recruit Elena for something but she didn't accept her offer and Morgana tried attacking her again, but Elena stopped her, and she used magic to scare Morgana away. She had been originally looking for Eylgar,” Mordred finished, leaving out when she discovered he had learned her secret, and he waited for a reply from Merlin. Merlin's eyes glazed over, thinking about what Mordred had just told him.  
“How did she scare Morgana?” he asked. How could anyone scare Morgana? The only person he knew she feared was himself, not knowing that he was Emrys. And what magic did she use? Morgana had grown accustomed to using Black Magic and she didn't hesitate to use it, so what magic could be worse enough to frighten her?  
“She... somehow, was able to conjure up green flames.” Merlin had never heard of anything like that and he searched Mordred's face for any sign of trickery or falseness, but he found none. “Merlin, don't confront her about this,” he said and Merlin stared at him, almost shocked at what Mordred had said. “She doesn't know that I've told you, and she even didn't want me to tell you. So, just pretend as though you still don't know.” Merlin didn't understand why Elena didn't want him to know and he was hurt by it, but he nodded and let go of Mordred's arm. Mordred nodded a farewell to him and continued walking, but Merlin remained where he was, considering what he had heard. He needed to tell Gaius.


End file.
